Reverse Swastika lapel pin worn at work

[WetCatechumen]

In that case, Honestly it ought to be that the situation needs to be explained to the patients and other doctors. The Nazis hijacked his faith’s symbol – why should he have to change?

The swastika is a symbol of many cultures, not only Hindu. What the Nazis did was so horrible that the image will be tainted for a long, long time. It doesn’t bug me in the least that he wears the pin, honestly, though.

 

[JHow]

The math doesn’t work in his favor with that argument, and most people do not view Christian symbols this way. He sounds a bit cranky.

 

[Gullveig]

Honestly, I’m sort of cranky that there are places I couldn’t wear a sun cross without people immediately assuming I’m in the Klan, so I sympathize with the doctor even if he’s probably just being cantankerous about it. I mean, if the guy takes abuse from patients for being something he’s not already (namely Muslim), then he probably feels like he can’t win either way so why should he care about a culture in which some ignorant people are going to verbally abuse him no matter what?

I would rather not write off the swastika and the fylfot and all those other symbols completely because of something terrible that happened 70 years ago. There really should be a statute of limitations on how long a misappropriated symbol can be considered taboo.

 

[JHow]

I suppose it depends on politics; vice all those kids in Che Guevara shirts. “Dude, did he play with Toots and the Maytalls, or what?”

 

[Cider]

It’s ironic that people are asking how much he may know about WWII instead of asking themselves what they know about the thousands of years of history of this symbol. Personally I don’t think that the Nazi’s should be allowed to win by banishing this symbol. Why not educate the public as to it’s traditional meaning and history?

Rosary beads are used as a symbol in some gangs, do you want them to be permanently banned too?

 

[JHow]

Nobody is talking about banning his symbol…we suggested asking him not to wear it because it will make him look like a nut and is potentially insensitive to the feelings of some of his patients. As to the Nazi’s , yes sadly, they pretty much trademarked the symbol, and no amount “education” of the public will change that.

 

[Cider]

Nobody is talking about banning his symbol…we suggested asking him not to wear it because it will make him look like a nut and is potentially insensitive to the feelings of some of his patients. As to the Nazi’s , yes sadly, they pretty much trademarked the symbol, and no amount “education” of the public will change that.

No, only people who choose to have closed minds can’t change how they view the symbol. The nazi’s are no more. They never had the right to trademark the symbol in the first place, but even if they had it expired a long time ago.

 

[JHow]

No, only people who choose to have closed minds can’t change how they view the symbol. The nazi’s are no more. They never had the right to trademark the symbol in the first place, but even if they had it expired a long time ago.

Okay. Tomorrow I’m wearing my confederate battle flag t shirt to a Justice for Trayvon rally. I’ll be sure to explain the historical significance of the symbol to any closed-minded people I meet.

 

[Didascalia]

I would say leave the man alone and let him wear his religious symbolism. Christians are being asked to remove crosses from there necks in the UK work place and quite a few have been fired for refusing to do so. An old man I knew had a cross removed from his hospital bed and hidden in a drawer. I challenged the nurse who did it and she told me it had to potential to offend other patients, this was very strange because my old friend was in a single room . I later found out that the same nurse was instrumental in having all the Gideons bibles removed from the bedside lockers!
It is essential that people of religion are allowed to demonstrate there faith publicly in any peaceful way they desire. What will come next? Will we be asked to remove crosses from church steeples?

 

[Andromedus]

Honestly, I’m sort of cranky that there are places I couldn’t wear a sun cross without people immediately assuming I’m in the Klan, so I sympathize with the doctor even if he’s probably just being cantankerous about it. I mean, if the guy takes abuse from patients for being something he’s not already (namely Muslim), then he probably feels like he can’t win either way so why should he care about a culture in which some ignorant people are going to verbally abuse him no matter what?

I would rather not write off the swastika and the fylfot and all those other symbols completely because of something terrible that happened 70 years ago. There really should be a statute of limitations on how long a misappropriated symbol can be considered taboo.

“*I have in this War a burning private grudge—which would probably make me a better soldier at 49 than I was at 22: against that ruddy little ignoramus Adolf Hitler… Ruining, perverting, misapplying, and making forever accursed, that noble northern spirit, a supreme contribution to Europe, which I have ever loved, and tried to present in its true light.” *- J. R. R. Tolkien

 

[jimkhong]

The swastika has a negative meaning in the Western world and I’m pretty certain that most people don’t know it is a Hindu symbol. (Just the other day my mom who is visiting me here, told me she saw a woman wearing swastika earrings. She was absolutely shocked.) Perhaps the doctor could wear a different symbol if he wants to show what his religion is. It is unfortunate that something from his faith has been hijacked, but it is what it is. He should respect the culture he lives in now in order not to shock his patients and co-workers.

I think it is the Western world that needs to be educated on the origins of the swastika. It is not just Hindu, but also Buddhist. I remember a clip on Jay Leno where a food pack in a supermarket had a swastika on it. It was treated as something nonsensical to do (on par with Chinglish translations) & they had a good laugh about it, but I presume the swastika probably means that the food pack was vegetarian.

If we should respect the culture he lives in now in order not to shock his patients and co-workers, then it would mean that we should not wear our crosses in Arab countries where some people view it as a sign of the Crusades. And our ancestors in faith should not have worn the depiction of a horrible execution that would have shocked their fellow Roman citizens.

 

[Methos]

I think it is the Western world that needs to be educated on the origins of the swastika. It is not just Hindu, but also Buddhist. I remember a clip on Jay Leno where a food pack in a supermarket had a swastika on it. It was treated as something nonsensical to do (on par with Chinglish translations) & they had a good laugh about it, but I presume the swastika probably means that the food pack was vegetarian.

I remember when the Hsi Lai Buddhist Temple in Hacienda Height, CA, opened in 1988, people were shocked that they not only had Buddha statues with swastikas, but also on the front street gates.

 

[sedonaman]

The swastika has a negative meaning in the Western world …

I remember a homily long ago [c. 1956] during the Hungarian Revolt against the Soviets. The priest told us to be careful about decorating our Christmas trees since there were instances of Hungarian refugees visiting American homes and being shocked at seeing a red star on top of the host’s tree.

 

[ericc]

Perhaps he is Hindu or Buddhist? If he is NOT wearing the Nazi swastika, why is he being insensitive? Or is it as long as it looks like something that someone dislike, then that symbol automatically becomes “sensitive”?

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swastika

Wikipedia list the swastika being long used before the Nazis came on board. So should the rest of the world stop using swastika, reverse swastika, 45º angled swastika and all permutations because it is associated with a war 80 years ago? Or should those ignorant do some reading and get themselves up to speed on world history on what other peoples used to do before WW2 happened? Wars come and go, but religions and cultures remain.

 

[sedonaman]

… Or should those ignorant do some reading and get themselves up to speed on world history on what other peoples used to do before WW2 happened? …

I don’t think the average person would even think to do some research, or how to do it, even on the simplest things. The '60s generation told them that history didn’t start until they were born.